Shoe



SHOE

Fil ed May 25, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet Dec. 1 7, 192 9.

A.. E. BLOCK SHOE Filed May 23, 1924v 5 SheeliS-Sheel A. E. BLOCK Dec. 17, 192.9.

SHOE

Filed May 25, 1924 3 Sheets-Shea?l Fw @E 5 M A. NW /0 N M MJ Patented Dec. 17, 1929 f UNITED STATES ALEXANDER E. BLOCK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI SHOE Application filed May 23,

My invention relates toimprovements in shoes and has for its object to produce a shoe formed upon any standard form of last, or special last ordinarily used by the wearer, but whose interior is equipped with pockets adapted to be thickened or converted into cushions for the support or treatment of one or rmore areas of the wearers foot.

The invention is designed especially to make a line of shoes of the usual last-sizes, as to length and breadth, having the appearance of ordinary commercial shoes, both internally and externally, but having self-contained means for the corrective treatment of injuries, distortions, abnormalities or weaknesses of the wearers foot or ankle. T he capacity for adjustment is to exist in each shoe embodying my invention, but without any excrescence or obtrusion within the shoe to o prevent its fitting, sale and use as the usual commercial shoe of the same size, in cases Where none of` its adjustments are needed by the wearer.

An 4object of my invention is to dispense 5 with the use of foot appliances attached to the wearers" foot orheld in the shoe by the pressure of the wearers foot; and my invention provides a low shoe or Oxford which can be as snugly secured to the foot as any shoe of ordinary construction, preventing accidents which may occur from the use of i such shoes when loosely laced orbuttoned upon the foot to accommodate extraneous foot appliances. The conformation of the shoe of my inven- `tion, moreover, is intended to remain unchanged from the factory to the wearer unless adjustments are required by the wearer, when such adjustments may be made by the retail salesman or by the wearer.

' The shoe of my invention further is adapted to adjustments made necessary by theinvariable displacement of the foot'relative to the shoe which occurs in the process known i as'breaking in a new shoe. The forward stresses o f the foot in walking stretch all of the parts of the shoe above its sole, with the result that the foot rests further forward in the used shoe than when the shoe was first fitted. Adjustments made at the original t- 1924. Serial N0. 715,294.

ting are accordingly shifted forward, by .means of my invention, after the breaking 1n of the shoe has been effected.

Drawings Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal view in mid section of the lower portion of a shoe embodying my invention. I

Fig. 2 isa similar View of the same after the cushioning of several areas of the shoel has been effected.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the inner-sole construction employed in my invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom face of the flap-carrying insole.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views of the several insert carriers employed in the practice of my invention.

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectionalview of the Hap-carrying member illustrated in Fig. 3, taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3; Fig. 10 being a similar view taken on the same line, 9 9, of Fig. 3, after certain cushioning adjustments have been made.

Fig. 11 is atransverse sectional view of the flap-carrying member illustrated in Fig. 3 taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 3; while Fig. 12, a sectional view taken on the same line -11-11 of Fig. 3 illustrates the same parts subsequent to the thickening or cushioning adjustment of the same.

Fig. 13 is a transverse sectional view on the line 13-13 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 14 illustrates the same parts on the same line as Fig. 13 after certain thickening or cushioningadjustments have been made therein.

Description I have illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the shoe S having the upper 15, outer sole 16 and heel 14 of usual and normal construction. Superimposed uponthe upper face of the outer sole 16 I provide the insole 17 and secondary sole 18 above it. Between the insole 17 and secondary sole 18, and secured to said secondary sole 18 in the manner illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, are formed the flaps 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23, preferably secured to the secondary sole 18 by means of lines of stitching, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, with the result of forming certain carrier-receptacles which l have indicated as A, B, C, D and E.

The secondary sole .18, so formed, rests upon the insole 17 as shown in Fig. 1. The

forward portion of said secondary sole 18 is secured through the insole 17 to the sole 16 by a permanent fastening means, which means is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 as the rivet 24;y while the rear portion of said secondary sole 18` is likewise secured to the shoe S by means of fastening devices 25, 25 passing through the heel 14;, outer sole 16, insole 17 and through the flap 21, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The secondary` sole 18 being thus seated in place upon the insole 17 is submitted to pressure which causes said secondary sole to lie smoothly within the shoe S, offering no obtrusion or eXcrescence which can be detected by the wearer. But the shoe S so constructed is capable of various thickening or cushioning adjustments between the insole 17 and series of several overlapping exible holders secondaryv sole 18, some of which are illustrated in sections in Fig. 2.

To effect'these adjustments each of the receptacles A, B, C, D and E is provided with an insert carrier, as follows:

Carrier 26 (for use in either of the receptacles A or B); the carrier 27 (for use in the receptacle C) the carrier 28 (for use in receptacle D); and carrier 29 (for use in receptacle E). The carrier 26 is provided with a series of ieXible holders 30 for the reception of inserts 81. The carrier 27 is formed of pluralitive layers of suitable material secured together to form holders for inserts 32; said carriers 27 also having a projecting lip 33 to facilitate its insertion or removal from the receptacle C. The carrier 28 is composed of a series of superimposed sheets of material as shown in Fig. 8, forming a plurality of holders for the reception of inserts 34, the carrier 29 being similarly formed for the reception of one or more inserts 35. y

As shown in Fig. 6, the carrier 27 has a terminating at varying points along the length of the carrier whereby the inserts can be placed inthe holders with their highest aggregate point at diering parts of the length of the carrier depending upon the particular adjustment required for the wearer. When the carrier has been equippedwith the desired inserts properly distributed in its holders along its length it can then be inserted into the appropriate permanent pocket of the shoe.

M 0de of. operation The shoe being constructed in the manner 'thus described, the secondary sole 18 can be E. 'The several carriers 26, 27, 28 and 29, or either of them, will be adjusted or thickened by the use of the proper insert as above described,1 before being placed in the carrier receptacle. As the foot of the wearer becomes adjusted to the shoe in the process of breaking in, and the foot assumes a different position in relation to the shoe, the several adjustments have the capacity of being shifted to meot the new conditi/on; Particularly, the carrier 26, originally employed in the receptacle A, maybe shifted forwardly into receptacle B if and when the anterior metatarsal arch of the wearer (dueto the forward adjustment of the foot in relation to the shoe) requires it.

In practice l have found an arcuate alinement of the inserts 31, such as is accomplished by the flexible holder or carrier 30, to be most effective in treating the various distortions or injuries of the anterior metatarsal arch; and in many cases the dual treatment of the foot by that arcuate insert disposal and byv the pocket formed by the flaps 21 or 22 has accomplished the desired result, without the use of the fiap 23, the flap 23 being in many cases unnecessary, and then being removed entirely.

rIhe shoe thus shown and described is merely a/disclosure of my invention as required by the statute. Various alterations of form and modification of structure may be effected without departure from my yinvention as defined in the following claimsl My disclosure is intended to be illustrative of my invention, and not as limiting that invention to any of the structural details presented in this application.

1. A shoe having a secondary sole with a plurality of insert-receiving pockets on its under side, said secondary sole being ypermanently secured to the shoe, all of its edges being free to be moved to expose the pocket openings. y

2. A shoe having a secondary sole withinsert-receiving pockets on its under side and at either side of the heel, said secondarysole being permanently fastened to the shoe with its heel end free to be moved to expose the openings of said heel pockets. v

3. A detachable insert-receiving carrier placed in the holders of said carrierswith their highest aggregate\point at differing parts of the length of the carrier, said carrier when equipped \with the inserts being adapted to be fitted within a permanent pocket of a shoe.

4. The improvement inshoes comprising a secondary sole having a plurality ofinsertreceiving pockets on its underside, arid permanently mounted in the shoe, all of its edges being free to be moved to expose the pocket openings; and a detachable insert-receiving carrier having a series of overlapping flexible holders terminating at various points along the length of the lcarrier to accommodate inserts in said holders with the highest aggregate point of said inserts at differing parts of the length of the carrier, saidcarrier when equipped with the inserts ,being adapted to be fitted within one of the pockets of said secondary sole.

5. A shoe having a secondary sole; a carrier having a plurality of pockets and arranged to conform to the foot of the wearer at a line behind the anterior metatarsal arch of the wearer; and transverse carrier receptacles for adjustably mounting said carrier uponthe secondary sole to compensate for ,wear incidental to the breaking in of the shoe.

6. A shoe having a secondary sole arranged to hold inserts in arcuate alinement behind the anterior metatarsal arch of the wearer; in combination with flaps forming pockets at the heel portion of said secondary sole.

In'testimony whereof I have hereunto afixed my signature.

ALEXANDER E. BLOCK. 

